Andrews and Smith (2011) discuss
many problems with current writing instruction in the beginning of their book, Developing Writers: Teaching and Learning in
the Digital Age. Perhaps one of the most important problems that they
pointed out is the issue that writing instruction is completely preoccupied
with form instead of content, especially when considering the popularity of the
five paragraph essay. Andrews and Smith state that “an over-emphasis on form
and structure tends to drain energy from the writing process which involves
motivation to write, engagement with the audience, the formation of ideas or
elements to be included, and then a
concentration on form” (p. 17). If students are so concerned with the form of
the piece of writing that they are undertaking because that appears to be the
focus of the instruction, then they sacrifice the focus on the audience or the
formation of their ideas. Additionally, when writing is seen as a skill to be
mastered rather than a means to communicate, students lose motivation and have
difficulty finding a purpose for their writing. This is a problem because
without motivation to write or the ability to focus on anything other than the
form of their writing, students do not learn how to develop or succeed as
writers.
As a teacher, I hope that I can help
my students to become flourishing writers by taking the emphasis off of the
perfect form and instead placing it on the development and communication of
ideas. I hope that, instead of constantly asking my students to perfect their
five paragraph essay skills, I can actually elicit some intrinsic motivation to
write by creating meaningful writing assignments about issues to which they can
relate. Andrews and Smith also alleged that “writing that is connected to real
world experience is going to enthuse and engage students more than sterile
writing exercises” (p. 18). By creating writing assignments for my students
that will help them to connect with their communities and with the world around
them, I hope to teach them the importance of effective writing as a mode of
communication which will help them to share their ideas and contribute to their
communities. Making writing relevant to my students’ lives is one way that I
hope to incorporate culturally relative pedagogy into my classroom.
Winn and Johnson (2011) explain that
“when culturally relevant pedagogy is included as an integral part of literacy
instruction, the identities of marginalized youth are recognized and affirmed,
and academic achievement is expected and possible” (p. 13). If my students are
exposed to culturally relevant material, they will be more engaged in the
classroom and more engaged with their assignments with which they can identify.
By acknowledging the different cultures and backgrounds of my students through
the material that I present to them as well as through the writing assignments
I ask them to produce, I hope to create an atmosphere in my classroom that
welcomes students’ perspectives, ideas, and background knowledge. Above all, I
hope to provoke in my students the idea that they all have the ability to
succeed and I hope to give them the tools to do so.
References
Winn,
M., & Johnson, L. (2011). Writing instruction in the culturally relevant
classroom.
Urbana, IL: National Council of
Teachers of English.
Andrews,
R., & Smith, A. (2011). Developing writers: Teaching and learning in the
digital age.
New York, NY: Open University Press.
Additional Resources
This page features a definition of culturally relevant pedagogy as well as information about what it looks like in practice.
This is a fantastic place to see how to apply many different strategies in order to become a more culturally responsive teacher.
Minnesota's 2012 Teacher of the Year, Jackie Roehl explains why culturally relevant teaching is critical to closing the achievement gap.
Some ideas for making the classroom a culturally relevant place for students and their families.
